


Mother Mine

by phantxmic



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, Backstory, Character Death, Child Abandonment, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mental Breakdown, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 20:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14244789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantxmic/pseuds/phantxmic
Summary: Morris didn't wake up to the smell of a fresh breakfast that morning. He didn't wake up to see his father reading the newspaper. He didn't wake up to hear his mother humming in the kitchen. All he heard was the rooster crowing to awaken an empty house.





	Mother Mine

Oscar was too young to realize what was happening, but to Morris, it was clear. 

He remembered the wide expanse of where they lived. Out in the rolling fields and meadows, they could see New York clear in the distance. He remembered tending to cattle and sheep and horses, the brothers loved what they did everyday. He remembered the smell of apple pies coming from the kitchen and his mom chirping, "Pies ready! Come and get it, boys!"

And Morris also remembered the day they left. 

He woke up, his fluffy, deep brown hair a complete mess as he headed into the dining room, expecting to smell a delicious breakfast. When he entered the room, he saw nothing. No plates set up perfectly, no spoons, no forks, no glasses for milk. 

He checked the kitchen. Nothing. Living room, nothing. Bathrooms, nothing. Parents bedroom...nothing. 

Then he checked the barn. All the livestock were there, everyone's horses, the sheep, the goats...nothing out of the ordinary. 

As Morris tracked back to the house, he saw it. Or rather, he saw what wasn't there. His father's car. He raced inside, checking everywhere for a note, a sign, something. He tripped on an open box in the living room and hissed in pain, glaring at the box. His gaze softened into worry as he realized: that was the family money box. Their savings were in there. And it was completely empty. 

Forcing himself not to cry, he got up and raced to his younger brother's room. 

"Osca'h! Ma and Pa are gone!"

His little brother sat up and whined in his high pitch, rubbing his brown eyes, "Mo, what're y'talkin' 'bout?"

"The cash, they took it! And- and they drove away in the car!" Morris tried to explain through his panic, though Oscar didn't believe him. 

"Mo, don't be silly...maybe they're just goin' into the city...gonna go see uncle Wiesel, maybe..." Oscar murmured softly, falling back into his bed. 

Morris didn't think the same way. He tried remembering something, anything that might clue him into why they're gone...

_"I just don't know..." Mom said, "Go into the city to hide? They'd find us there!"_

_"There's no other choice," Dad set his hand on Mom's shoulder, "We have to go. If not, they'll find us here and take away the boys. You heard what Wiesel said, it won't be safe for us here."_

_"Ma...Pa..?" Morris asked, rubbing his eyes as he poked his head through the doorway, "I can't go to sleep..."_

_"Oh, darling," Mom rushed to him and lifted him up, "Goodness, you're getting so big, Momo!" She cooed and tickled him, causing the boy to writhe with giggles._

_"Noooo, stop that!" Morris squeaked and giggled more as his mother carried him off to bed._

Then it all made sense to Morris. But he knew the brothers couldn't just leave, New York was miles away. Maybe if they waited a few days...

That didn't work. 

The brothers were starving. They didn't know how to cook and all the edible food was almost gone. Oscar was crying on and off every hour, whining for mother to come back, but Morris had lost faith. He grew quiet, only occasionally speaking. On the morning of the fifth day they were alone, Morris started packing up their things. 

"Momo..." Oscar started, watching him back. 

"Don't call me that."

"Don't tell me you're leaving too..." Morris could hear Oscar's voice break as he began to cry again. 

"We're leaving," Morris said simply and handed him a bag, "Here's your stuff. Meet me in the barn."

Oscar nodded shakily and followed him out to the barn where the livestock were. Morris headed to his horse and steered him out, packing their bags into the saddle bags and the two brothers began to climb on top of the horse. 

"W-where are we going?" Oscar whined, pawing at him. 

"We're going to Uncle Wiesel in New York," Morris answered flatly as he began to steer the horse out of the barn and towards the dirt road. Oscar clung onto him for dear life and watched their house slowly disappear. All their memories and good times were gone with that house. 

They rode all day, watching as New York grew closer and closer. The sky-high towers made the two brothers feel much smaller than they were. As they entered the city, the two grew more nervous. People were staring at them. Oscar clung to Morris and watched one side of the sidewalk as they passed by a church. 

Oscar noticed a small boy outside who seemed to be around Morris' age. The boy looked up in wonder at the two and waved to Oscar, giving a big smile. Oscar waved back curiously before hearing a nun shout to the boy, "Jojo! Come back inside!" The boy looked towards the door as Morris and Oscar turned a corner, and when he looked back, they were gone. 

Morris scanned the streets nervously and looked at the piece of paper in his hand: their uncle's address. He...didn't know where that was. "Stay here," Morris said to Oscar as he hopped off the horse and rushed to the nearest person. He was around his age with a satchel full of newspapers, trying to sell them. "Excuse me, d-do you know how to get here..?" He showed him the address. 

The boy blinked and examined it, "Oh ye'h! The streets are numbered, it's easy to get around. I'll show ya the way. Who you tryin'to see?"

"My uncle Wiesel..."

"Wiesel?" The name seemed to strike a cord in the boy, "Huh...well, follow me."

Morris kept a tight grip on the horse's leash, following the boy and occasionally glancing up at Oscar, who seemed to be doing fine. 

"So, what's your names?" The boy asked, fanning himself with a newspaper. 

Morris wiped a bead of sweat from his cheek, "I'm M-Morris, this is Oscar."

"Nice to meetcha, I'm Jack!" The self-proclaimed Jack gave them a smile, "Oh, 'ere!" He pulled out two newspapers and handed them to the two, "You can cool yaself off wit' these."

"Thank you, Jack," Oscar piped up from the horse, fanning himself eagerly. 

By the time they reached their destination, it was already sunset. Jack led them to the door and smiled, "Tell Wiesel that Jack Kelly said hi," He patted Morris on the back, which caused him to flinch as Jack walked away. 

Oscar leapt from the horse and pounded on the door, "Unka Wiesellllll!" He cried, his stomach crying with him. 

Hurried steps were heard from the house and Wiesel opened the door quickly, "Kids?! Oh my god!" He scooped the kids in his arms, watching as the two of them broke down in his arms, "Oscar, Morris..." He squeezed the two tight, bringing them inside, "What are you doin' here?!" When the two continued to sob, he knew he'd have to calm them down first. 

Wiesel set them on the kitchen counter and poured them glasses of water, offering the glasses to him. The two immediately chugged the water and gasped out once the glasses were set down. 

"Kids...what are you doing here? Your mother told me you left with her!" Wiesel growled softly in frustration. 

"Ma...left...with Pa...and the money..." Morris panted out softly as Oscar let out hiccuped sobs. Wiesel's eyes widened and he picked them up again, holding them close and tight. 

"I'll...I'll take care of ya's. You'll be safe wit' me," Wiesel murmured and kissed their fluffy hair gently, sighing. He knew their parents wouldn't be back. But he didn't think they'd leave them forever.

Their abandonment made the two brothers much colder. They began working at a young age with Wiesel distributing papers for Manhattan newsies. They saw Jack everyday, who tried to be friendly, but the two weren't accepting of it. Oscar grew more rude and snappy and Morris stayed silent with pent up rage, which he would lash out at wrong times on the wrong folks. They were soon labeled the "Delancey brothers", and practically every newsie in Manhattan hated them. They didn't want to be hated, they wanted to be friendly, but they just...couldn't. They grew older and taller and well built, continuing to work with their uncle. 

One day, the newsies seemed quiet as Oscar passed out papers. Morris was stood next to his brother, watching the silent newsboys. That was odd, they were usually so rambunctious. "What's with 'em?" Morris asked, to which his brother shrugged. 

The two watched as Jack Kelly walked up to them. Oscar was about to make a snide comment, but he saw the look of sincerity in his eyes and watched him. 

"'ey. I dunno if you've read the pape, but uh...I'm sorry," Jack said, looking as if he pitied the two. 

"Sorry? What are ya talkin' about?" Oscar sneered less rudely than usual and noticed Wiesel stiffen uncomfortably next to the brothers. 

"Just...read page 20..." Jack sighed and walked away, "We're all sorry."

Oscar furrowed his brows and grabbed a paper furiously, opening it up to page 20. 

_**Obituary** _

_Clara Delancey - Born September 21st, 1856_

_Living Relations  
-Walter Delancey (Husband)  
-Wiesel Delancey (Brother-in-law)  
-Morris Delancey (Son)  
-Oscar Delancey (Son)_

Oscar felt his hands tremble as he read the page. Morris was reading over his shoulder and grew stiff. 

_Clara Delancey was a young woman born in New York City on September 21st, 1856. She met her husband Walter while looking for jobs in her early twenties._

_Walter showed her a life of crime. The two became widely known as the two most deadly thieves one could ever come across. They robbed banks, houses, any property they could get their hands on. After a mass heist in 1881 that killed ten people, they went into hiding. During their eight year long hiding, they had two sons; Morris Jeremiah Delancey (January 12th, 1882) and Oscar Pierce Delancey (August 9th, 1883). In 1890, police got report of them living in a farm house and arrived to find nothing was there and they were on the run._

_On this day, Clara Delancey was shot and killed while escaping a bank robbery with her husband. (See Front Page)_

Oscar felt his eyes brim with tears. Ma was dead. Ma was dead. Ma was dead. It repeated in his head over and over until he let out a sob and covered his mouth, his knees giving in. Morris was right next to him, more in shock than sadness. Wiesel was immediately there to help them, pulling them close and hugging them tight. 

"I know, I know..." their uncle cooed softly as newsboys gathered around slowly, Jack once again set a hand on Morris' back. 

Morris shot up and shoved him off, "Get away from me!" He shouted, slamming the paper on the ground and rushing off into the building. 

His mother was dead. His parents were wanted criminals. He felt himself break down further, starting to sob. Why does he care? They left him, why does he care that his mother died?

Wiesel soon came in with Oscar, who was a sniffling mess, which reminded Morris of the day his parents left, the days he spent alone with Oscar in their house, the day they went to the city. All alone. 

Morris could practically feel himself building up walls. He wiped the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat, building up confidence as he returned to the paper stand. 

"'ey, Morris, you alright?" A tall newsie with curly brown hair asked, Morris couldn't remember his name. 

"I'm fine."

**Author's Note:**

> the tiny church boy is Jojo and the newsie at the end is Finch btws


End file.
